Chargers May Have to Let Go of Mike McDaniel Sooner Rather Than Later

The Los Angeles Chargers have really struggled on the offensive side of the ball, which could result in significant changes being made.

On that note, one of those changes could be the Chargers firing offensive coordinator McDaniel because of the inconsistent and at times poor performance from the offense to start the 2026 season.

Recently, NFL reporter Evan Sidery reported that if the offense does not make significant improvements, the Chargers could end up firing McDaniel soon, per ESPN. Additionally, Sidery noted that if Los Angeles let go of McDaniel, Adam Gase would step in as the interim offensive coordinator.

This is a very interesting development, especially because in the offseason the expectations for this offense were much higher, and in particular the expectations for quarterback Justin Herbert were quite high, but to this point, he has really struggled.

So far, the Los Angeles offense is averaging 16.8 points per game (30th in the NFL), 292.8 total yards per game (25th in the NFL), and has turned the ball over 13 times (Most in the NFL).

All of those marks are very bad, specifically the turnovers, as that is the most in the NFL through five weeks, and that aspect of the offense has really made it tough for the Chargers to be able to win games and sustain offensive drives despite the defense playing very well to start the year.

While the 0-5 start to the season has been very difficult, it could possibly become even worse as the Chargers have to face the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens in their next four games.

If the Chargers are to pick up a win soon, the offense has to be much better, and McDaniel needs to find a way to help the offense move the ball a lot more consistently whether that be through emphasizing the passing game, the run game, or a combination of both. 

On that topic, the Chargers have actually been solid running the ball as they averaging 128.2 rush yards per game (No. 9 in the NFL), but the passing game has been a big struggle as they are averaging 164.6 passing yards per game (No. 30 in the NFL).

When it comes to the passing game, there is one key reason why McDaniel has been unable to get going consistently. That reason is the inability for the pass catchers and the offensive line to stay healthy.

In Week 5, Ladd McConkey was active but really was not able to contribute much, and on the offensive line, the Chargers were forced to start four rookies as Joe Alt, Rashawn Slater, Trevor Penning, Trey Pipkins III, and Kayode Awosika are now all dealing with injuries.

With that said, this is a really tough position for McDaniel to be in, but if he is one of the more innovative offensive minds in the NFL, he must figure out a solution, otherwise, it is very possible that the Chargers will decide to move on before the season ends.